CHARLESTON, S.C. – Freshman Weslin Jones plated the game-winning run in the ninth inning of game two, lifting the Charleston Southern softball team to a doubleheader split against Furman Tuesday night at the CSU Softball Complex after the Paladins claimed game one.

GAME 1 | FURMAN 3, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 2
Buccaneers starting pitcher Blake Holtorf limited the damage done by the Furman (14-21) offense except for one player, Riley Ludlam who created all three runs for the visitors on a pair of home runs. Her two long balls were two of just five Paladins hits in the contest, as Holtorf allowed just one hit and two base runners through the opening-three frames.

In Furman's half of the fourth, Alex Rose Molinar led off with an infield single. Two batters later, Ludlam went deep for the first time to give the Paladins a 2-0 cushion. Holtorf retired two of the next-three batters to get out of the inning with no further runs being scored.

Charleston Southern (17-22) came right back, however, leveling the score in the bottom of the stanza. Ashley Meckley led off with a single to her counterpart at shortstop and then swiped second base, putting herself in scoring position. A SeaEnna Satcher single up the middle moved Meckley to the opposite corner. Lexi Markle then entered as a pinch runner for Satcher, and with Raleigh Lewis coming to the plate in the next at-bat and only one out, the Bucs were setting themselves up nicely. Lewis delivered with a double to left, bringing in Meckley and Markle for the game-tying runs and still only one out. Unfortunately, the offense stalled after that.

Holtorf continued to send the Furman batters down in order in the next frame and extended her consecutive outs streak to seven since the Ludlam home run. With her due up at the plate next, the span was broken when she belted her second four-bagger of the contest for the go-ahead score with two outs.

CSU, however, did not go away quietly in its last-two chances. It put two runners on base in the sixth and then loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, giving itself an opportunity. Rhiana Hubbard led off the seventh with a single to right field then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Jones singled to the other side, as two base runners reached with zero outs. A fielder's choice resulted in a force out at second but Hubbard moved to third. An unassisted out at first base held Hubbard still 60 feet away from scoring but Gracie Prince, who had reached on the fielder's choice, moved to second before Lilly Bishop walked to load the bases and two outs. A fly out to deep center ended the contest.

Holtorf struck out three, scattering the five hits across her 7.0 innings. She faced six above the minimum and induced 13 fly outs. Lewis had the Bucs' lone multi-hit contest and drove in the two RBI, while Meckley, Satcher, Hubbard and Jones also reached on a hit.

GAME 2 | CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 5, FURMAN 4 (9 INNINGS)
It may have extended beyond the regulation seven innings but Charleston Southern (18-22) overcame two deficits to salvage the split with its in-state foe. Again, the first couple of innings on both sides were quiet until the Furman (14-22) bats warmed up in the third. A misplayed ball in the infield allowed leadoff batter Ashlee Lykins to reach and then she moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Emily Bartlett ripped a triple down the right-field line, bringing Lykins the remaining 120 feet home to score the game's first run with one out.

Another error, this time in the outfield, put Ludlam on base and it brought in Bartlett as the Paladins built a 2-0 edge. Ludlam eventually worked her way over to third base on a Natalie Morgan walk and Marina Griffin single. Alexis Larrow then followed with a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Ludlam to trot home for the 3-0 advantage on starter Maggie Carpenter. After Carpenter walked Caitlin Goldwait, Baylee Eaton entered the circle in relief and went the rest of the way.

The Buccaneers managed two base runners in the home half of the third, on Hubbard and Prince singles, but were unable to bring either one home. It wouldn't be until the bottom of the fifth when CSU scratched its first run across. Madison Koger led off with a walk and was still on first following back-to-back fly outs. Jones then tripled down the left field line, sending Koger all the way in to score and breaking up the shutout started by Sierra Tufts and continued at that point by Shelby Basso.

Charleston Southern's offense continued to find ways to generate an attack in the bottom of the sixth, as Lewis hit a one-out single up the middle before she was relieved by pinch runner Taylor Gleason. Satcher followed two batters later with a single, shifting Gleason to third, and being substituted for herself as Ashlyn Cribb entered as a pinch runner. With the two Bucs on the corners, Koger singled, plating Gleason and Cribb hustled all the way over to third base on the play. Again, with runners on the corners, Koger moved up 60 feet with a stolen base and a throwing error trying to get her out by the catcher brought Cribb home with the game-tying score.

Neither team was able to add to it in the seventh, although the Buccaneers again had two base runners, including Jones on third with one out, but could not bring either one in for the winner at that point. In the extra frames, with the runner automatically placed on second, Furman's Goldwait was the one slotted there initially. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt before Chrissy Fleming entered as pinch runner. Lykins' fielder's choice saw Koger throw home and Prince applying the tag on Fleming, keeping the Paladins off the board in the eighth.

In the ninth, Molinar was the placed runner on second. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and then scored as Ludlam sent a sacrifice fly to center field, putting Furman back in front, 4-3.

Charleston Southern was not to let another chance pass it by, though, as it used Koger on second to begin the bottom of the inning to its advantage. Markle reached on a fielding error, advanced to second on the throw and Koger raced all the way in for the tying score. Hubbard followed with a single, which pushed Markle over to third base with zero outs. Jones delivered the game-winning hit, a single right up the middle, and Markle came home for the celebration at home plate to cap the second-longest game of the campaign.

Eaton was credited with the win after tossing the final 6.1 innings, allowing just one run and striking out four. She scattered five hits during her time in the circle in relief of Carpenter.

Hubbard pieced together a 3-of-4 game at the plate, while Jones and Prince both added two hits to the 10-hit attack. It's the first time CSU has had double-figure hits in a game since 15 in the 12-0 triumph over South Carolina State in game two of that doubleheader, March 30, and just the fifth time all spring with a victory in each of those five outings.

UP NEXT
The Bucs return to the road this weekend in a league series at USC Upstate. Action against the Spartans, who are receiving votes in this week's USA Today/NFCA Top 25 poll, begins at 4 p.m. Friday before Saturday's doubleheader starting with a 1 p.m. first pitch.